I know what you’re thinking – every year the tech bods roll out hundreds of predications for wat’s going to be hot the next year. We did it ourselves last year, predicating the rise of robotics and more adaptive, naturalised security measures. You can see how well those predictions turned out in our blog post here. But now, we tear our eyes away from the smoking ruins of 2016 and turn them towards a more hopeful, prosperous 2017. So, what do we think will be happening this year in the world of technology and IT?

A Surge In The Use Of VPN’s

Since the rather unpopular introduction of the ‘Snoopers Charter’, we are expecting to see a significant surge in the number of people using VPN’s to access the Internet. A VPN (which stands for Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted connection between devices and a VPN server from a service provider. This blocks out snoopers and allows the user to browse the internet in privacy and security. Given the rise in awareness of identity theft and cybercrime, coupled with a growing concern for privacy since the snooper’s charter became law, we expect to see VPN’s move from being a niche tech product to a wider reaching public offering.

Down With Typing, Up With Voice Search

Voice search technology has come a long way since it’s rough beginnings. Siri is now able to recognise Scottish accents without a problem, Cortana has become more streamlined and Google’s smart assistants now respond when you call them. Between the launch of the Google Pixel, the Apple Watch Series 2 and the Amazon Echo, voice search is becoming a more common thing in all devices – even ones that aren’t phones. People are becoming used to the idea of speaking searches instead of typing them, and thanks to a rise in VPA’s on phones, computers and in homes, voice search and voice command are predicted to go down some new, exciting avenues.

The Rise Of Blockchain

In case you don’t know, blockchain is the distributed ledger tech sitting behind the cryptocurrency Bitcoin – it’s what allows users to prove ownership in an indisputable way. High street banks are showing an interest in the blockchain technology in a big way, particularly way to use it outside the world of cryptocurrency. There are several proof of concept projects ready to be rolled out over 2017, all designed to showcase how blockchain can make massive internal savings in the banking industry. In the future, we could also see this technology being used in identity verification for online retail, the buying and selling of houses, supply chains, digital music royalties – it may even change the way the Internet works in the years to come, so get ready for the age of code.

Of course, there are hundreds of technological advancements being made every day, so it’s difficult to give them all fair mention. One thing is for sure though - we have entered the age of technology, and the things we know now mean we can make leaps and bounds forward. Before you know it, we will be living in that high-tech future the movies teased us with. If you’ve seen something cool you want us to review, or want to know how something works, please leave us a comment or get in touch so we can see it too!